The Aftermath: A 1st Hunger Games Fanfiction
by The Insane Genius
Summary: Okay... My first was taken down, so I'm reposting it. Don't worry, CU, there will only be story chapters in this one. The rebellion was a failure. Most are dead. To make sure this never happens again, the Capitol created a game.
1. How To Sponsor

How To Sponsor:

There are multiple ways to sponsor a tribute.

1. Answer the question at the end of each chapter and PM me it. I don't want it to slip out. I'll have three question, Easy, Medium, and Hard. The Easy questions are worth 3 points, the Medium are 6 points, and the Hard are 9 points.

2. Commenting. If you comment on one chapter, you get 2 points.

3. Submitting tributes. The people who submitted a tribute that got in will get 20 points. The people who submitted a tribute that DIDN'T get in will get 15 points. If you weren't a member and submitted, you can't claim any points until you make an account and tell me one fact about the tribute.

4. Giving me good ideas for the arena, the arena outfits, or an interview will get you 5 points. If you correctly guess the victor from before the Games begin, you get 50 points to use on my next SYOT, The 2nd Annual Hunger Games.

Here is the pricing sheet:

Days 1-3

One loaf of Bread- 3 points

A 24 oz canteen of water- 4 points

Bandages- 4 points

A pillow- 5 points

Pain medicine- 6 points

(2) Ham & Turkey sandwiches- 6 points (can only be bought in bulk: you can't buy one sandwich for 3 points)

(3) throwing knives- 8 points

A meal: choose between each food

Drink: water, milk, green tea

Food: (3) chicken breasts, half of a ham

10 points

6-foot long insulated sleeping bag- 12 points

A 1.5 foot long sword- 13 points

A 2 foot long spear- 13 points

A bow and arrow- 14 points

A full medical kit: complete with bandages, pain medicine, burn medicine, anti-infection medicine, and an ankle sleeve used to mend sprained ankles - 15 points

Days 4-6

(multiply each object above by 2)

Days 7-9

(multiply each 1-3 object by 3)

And on and on and on...

PM me the items you wish to purchase for your tributes.

If you want to be a sponsor, PM me by June 5, I assume I'll be done with the Reapings by then.

If there is something you want that isn't on the list, PM to request it. I may or may not allow you to purchase it.

Here are the questions:

Easy (3 points)

What is District 10's main export?

Medium (6 points)

Who plays Primrose Everdeen in The Hunger Games movie?

Hard (9 points)

In the final battle of the 50th Hunger Games between Haymitch and the other girl, what body part was she missing?


	2. The Aftermath

The smoke and dust swirled over the ground of the once vivacious District 13. Building shrapnel and bodies of the fallen lie littered over the ground. Miraculously, there were still buildings standing, so they had their meeting in one of those.

"I don't understand." Grey Tider, the President's assistant, murmured. She has only been in office for a year, the rebellion start exactly one week after she was appointed.

"Tider, what's not to understand? They misbehaved, so we had to punish them. Think of them as children and us as parents." says President Anton Horatio. He has been in office far longer than any President of Panem.

"Who punishes children with nuclear weapons, Anton?" Tider demands, her voice rising. "Tider," Horatio says calmly, "This is neither the time nor place to do this. We must discuss the-" Horatio was cut off mid-sentence by a sharp slap to his cheek.

He stares down at his assistant, cold black eyes full of anger. "Take her." He says simply to a guard. Though Tider puts up a struggle, she is no match for the strength of the guard. He carries her away, her screaming obscenities at the President.

As the screams fade into the background, Horatio wipes his hands on his kerchief, removing the soot that settles on them.

"Now, let's get to business." He says, sitting down at what used to be the Mayor's dining room table. He doesn't even start when there is the unmistakable boom of a gun and the bloodcurdling scream of his former assistant.

* * *

"Come, Molly," says a woman to her young daughter. "We must go to the square. There's a special announcement." She grips her wrist tightly, making sure she doesn't lose the young girl in the crowd.

They walk slowly, so as not to fall over the debris still lying on the District 1 grounds. The rebellion wasn't as strong in 1, seeing as it's so close to the Capital, but the rebels were persistent.

As the square begins to fill with those who don't have televisions, which is to say most, the large screen in the middle of the square begins to flicker on.

The face of their president fills the screen, his white-blond hair shining, his black eyes gleaming.

"Hello, residents of District 1!" The voice booms out from the speakers. "I have very special announcements to make! First, there is a new head assistant, seeing as Ms. Tider was deemed unfit for the job at hand. Second, supplies and food will be sent down to those who have been faithful to the Capital. Third, and most excitingly, there will be a new annual event taking place through all of Panem. To explicate this further, here is my new assistant, Teris Billings."

The screen transitioned to the young man's face. He couldn't be more than 25. "Hello! I am Teris; it's very good to meet you all! Now, to talk about what your leader started. The rebellion was a terrible and horrid thing, as you all know. It has led to destruction and death. We at the Capital will have none of that.

"There have been many ideas at what to do to make sure this never happens again. Some say that you should all be imprisoned! Isn't that preposterous? The resolution is much simpler. From each of your Districts, we will choose one girl and one boy to compete in what we shall call the Hunger Games. They fight for the honor of their District. The only tribute that shall remain is the one that is the strongest, smartest, and bravest."

The news sinks into the crowd. They send their children to fight? And what did he mean, 'the only tribute that shall remain'. What would happen to the others?

One by one, they realized what he meant.

They were sending their children to fight to the death.


	3. District 1 Reapings

**A/N: Hello, people! I'm sorry if my previous chapter seduced you. I haven't posted one in a while; my internet is out to get me. Either way, here are the District 1 Reapings!**

**Spencer Talen, District 1**

I've always known I was different.

I'm not a blood-thirsty killing machine like all the other guys in 1. Actually, I hate death. Ever since my parents were killed, it's a taboo in my family, which consists of my Aunt Jude and my Aunt Jude only.

When the Capitol started the Hunger Games, I was put out. It was disgusting, morbid. Watching children die for entertainment? What sick bastards would find that 'entertaining'? Sadly, I was forced to train, forced to prepare myself to kill.

I told myself that I wouldn't get caught up in the nonsense, but I'm scared that it's gotten to me in the year that I've trained. That's how long we had from the announcement of the Games to the first Reaping, which happens to be today. Which reminds me, I have to get ready.

I force myself out of my bed, wishing I could sleep through the Reaping. I can't though, they would probably incarcerate me.

I pull on a white button-down shirt, a pair of brown dress trousers, and brown loafers. I despise dress pants. I'd rather wear cotton or denim.

As I go down the stairs, I smell maple syrup. Even though we live in District 1, maple syrup is hard to come by, which is why Aunt Jude saves it for special occasions only.

"Hey, Aunt Jude." I say as I sit down at the kitchen table, ready to devour a plate of pancakes. "Spencer, how are you today? Are you nervous?" Aunt Jude looks up to me from the stove, a worried expression on her usually stern face.

I scoff. "Of course not. My chances are 1 in thousands." She looks at me, "So is everyone else's."

"Aunt Jude, let's not let the Reaping get to our heads. It will be over and done with soon enough. It would be much easier if we dive into our pancakes and eat our misfortune away." She laughs half-heartedly. I can see her troubles. What if it does happen and I'm picked as tribute? She wouldn't survive. Her sister, brother-in-law, nephew, all gone. It's a horrid thing to think of.

"Spencer, let's go, you lazy sack of bones!" I hear a shout outside of my window. I peer out and see my two best friends, Mica and Brody. We've been friends ever since we were toddlers.

"One sec, guys." I quickly scarf down my pancakes and give Aunt Jude a tight hug. "I'll see you later." I tell her. She nods and gives me a tight lipped smile.

I run out the front door and meet up with my friends. "Hey!" I smile widely. They're the few that can get a smile like that out of me anymore.

"Mica, what, no Vienna today?" Vienna is Mica's current girlfriend. At least, I think it is. I'm really not sure; he passes through girls like day passes to night.

"Nah. She went with her parents." He grins and I look at Brody. He always looks tired nowadays. He's the main source of money for the family, seeing as his father is ill and his mother is pregnant.

"Brody, how's your mom? I haven't seen her in ages." He smiles, "I swear, she'll pop any day now." We laugh and decide to kill time until the Reaping.

"Mica, I swear, get out of that tree, you'll brake your damned neck!" Currently, Mica's swinging in a tall oak tree by his legs like the monkey he is. I vaguely realize that this would come extremely handy in the Games. I shake my head, determined to get the thought out of my head. We won't get picked.

"Fine, _mom_…" He mutters under his breath. Brody shakes his head at him. "Come on guys, it's time to go to the square." I look at my wrist watch. God, we're already running late.

We run as fast as possible to where they're holding the Reaping. We sign in and place ourselves in the 17 year old boys' area. I can feel the tension, fear, and excitement in the air. Believe it or not, some kids _want_ to go in the arena.

Turns out we were just in time. The announcer from the Capitol, whose name I do not know, steps up on stage. He looks utterly ridiculous. His hair is a deep purple and is in spikes all over his head. His skin is far too pale to be natural. I can tell he's wearing contacts; no one's eyes are that bright of orange. His clothing, well, it's frightening. It's a silver pantsuit covered in bright diamonds. If you sold that suit, you could probably buy District 12.

"Hello! Welcome to the first annual Hunger Games!" I hear roaring and excited screaming from the audience. It disgusts me. "It's so wonderful that we have such an enthusiastic audience! My name is Tiger Sphynx and I shall be the announcer for the lovely District 1! Now, let's get onto the Reaping!"

Two Peacekeepers bring out two large, glass balls, each containing at least a thousand slips of paper. The back of my neck heats up as I stare at a certain slip of paper. For some reason, I'm positive that that is the one with the name Spencer Talen carefully scripted onto it.

"I know this goes against tradition, but how about we have the men go first?" There's more screaming and laughing from the audience, most from right next to me.

"Wonderful!" Tiger says. He places one manicured hand into one of the balls, rummaging around, trying to put on a show. He gets closer and closer to the one that I know has my name on it. I hold my breath.

As he pulls out a slip of paper, the audience takes a collective breath.

"And," he says dramatically, "Your male tribute for District 1 is…"

The crowd let's out their breath.

"Darry Roskins!"

I look through the boy's area. A small boy, no older than 12, starts to walk through the crowd. I can see the terror on his face. This is when I know that the Capitol is evil.

As he climbs the steps, he trips, causing most in the audience to laugh. I can tell that he wouldn't last a second in the arena.

"Thank you! Let's give a hand for Darry!" Near everyone in the audience applauds, except for the few who are staring up at the boy with looks of sadness on their faces. I am one of them.

"Wonderful! Now, are there any volunteers that would like to take Darry's place?" The audience is silent. I can tell no one would risk their lives for this boy, not even the strongest or bravest.

As the time for volunteering grows shorter, nearing its end, I raise my hand. I'm surprised. It was an act I didn't even know I would do. It was an instinct.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I speak loudly through the crowd. Darry gives a sigh of relief and the color begins to flood back into his face. I walk up to the stage without hesitation, without showing fear.

"Wonderful!" Shouts Tiger. I begin to think if that's the only adjective he knows. "What's your name, boy?" I clear my throat and speak into the microphone. "My name is Spencer Talen." As I speak, I stare into the horrified eyes of my aunt and friends. I, too, am horrified.

**Exelia Slyth**

As I roll out of bed, I can't help but feel excited. Today is Reaping Day. I'm actually not one for the Games, per say, but I'm feeling full of excitement. Maybe because I'll be able to be the first victor in the entire Hunger Games history. That would be amazing.

I pull on my brand new outfit Mother bought for the Reaping. It's beautiful, a dark red sheath with layers and a pair of black heels with false diamonds along the front.

I run down the stairs as fast as I dare, seeing as the shoes are nearly 4 inches tall. My older brother (by 12 minutes), Aiden, was also running down. He slightly shoved me, causing me to topple down the rest of the stairs.

"Ass!" I shout. Aiden holds his laugh, but I can see his eyes gleaming.

"Exelia Ritter Slyth! We do not use that sort of language in our house!" My mother, Rose, screams at me. I roll my eyes, "Mother, I'm not a saint. I curse. You curse. Aiden curses. What about it."

Mother sighs. I'm not usually like this. My blood is pumping. I want a fight. It's odd; I'm not really the violent type.

"Okay," I say. "I'll sit." I pull the chair from under the table and sit. I smell eggs and bacon and toast. Not my favorite breakfast, but it's a good and hearty one.

"Thanks, Mom." Aiden says from beside me. That's a difference between Aiden and me. He calls her Mom, while I call her Mother. I really don't know why I call her 'Mother'.

"So, Ex, how you feeling about your chances?" Aiden laughs. The Games are somewhat of a joke to him; he believes there is no way that he could get picked.

"Well, Aiden, it's one in a few thousand like everyone, including you. And who knows, I may just volunteer for the _honor_ of the Games." I smirk. I don't believe it's honor, I believe it's almost a death wish. Of course, there's always the smart, strong, best person who is fit for being the winner. But, that's one in 24 of the 24 in tens of thousands.

"Hurry, kids. The Reaping will start in about 30 minutes!" I roll my eyes. She just gave us food. I scarf down my breakfast, barely tasting it. I scoot out from my chair and run as fast as I can to the town square.

The colorful buildings of the district blur past me as I run. I don't even think the escort is here by the time I position myself at the front of the fourteen year old girls. I sigh; of course my mother was over-reacting.

I estimate there's about 7 minutes until the beginning of the reaping, so I look around and examine the people that would do good if they were reaped. I see some girls from my class. They are all thin and lanky and look weak. They would probably die within the first few days. Then I see some overly large girls. They aren't in shape and would also die. There are the few that are right in the middle, like myself, that are strong and in shape.

I look over to the boys. There are far more 12 year olds than 18 year olds. I'm positive District 1 won't have a male winner this year. But, of course, we're still able to have a girl winner.

Finally, the escort steps up on stage. His hair is rather interesting. It's purple styled into spikes.

"Hello! Welcome to the first annual Hunger Games!" I grin and give a shout or two.

"My name is Tiger Sphynx and I shall be the announcer for the lovely District 1!" I scoff and roll my eyes; he's obviously trying to get votes from the Capital.

"I know this goes against tradition, but how about we have the men go first?" I'm upset; I was excited.

As Tiger picks a name out of the ball, I feel excited, even though the name is for the boys.

"Your male tribute for District 1 is Darry Roskins!"

A young boy from the 12 year olds area walks up to the stage on shaky legs. When he gets to the steps, he trips, falling. I snicker a little bit, then immediately feel guilty.

"Thank you! Are there any volunteers that would like to take Darry's place?"

After about 10 seconds, a boy from the 17 year olds area raised his hand and says, "I volunteer as tribute!" I grin; obviously somebody is fit to be a tribute.

The boy in question is quite handsome. He has brown hair, tan skin, and a strong jaw line. He's tall, muscular, and an ideal person for a tribute.

He walks up to the stage. Tiger asks his name to which he replies Spencer Talen.

"Now it's time for the ladies!" I take a deep breath, ready for any outcome. I don't particular want to be chosen, but I'd be excited if I was.

"The girl tribute for District 1 is Corby Lawrence!"

I exhale, recognizing the name. Corby, Corby, where have I heard that name before? It suddenly comes to me; Corby Lawrence saved my and my brother's life from a wolf a few years ago.

The story goes that Aiden and I were walking in the forest, messing around. There was a wolf that pounced on us, severely injuring Aiden. Corby stepped out from behind a tree and shot the despicable thing with a handgun. I didn't have to imagine where she got it, seeing as her father's a Peacekeeper.

Corby walks up to the stage, her short red hair ruffling in the wind.

I realize that it wouldn't be fair to basically kill someone that saved your life.

"I volunteer!" I shout before she even gets up to the stage. She looks to the stage and her eyes set on mine with relief.

I walk up the steps quickly. "Wonderful! What's your name?"

I smile, "Exelia Slyth."

"Well, District 1, here are your tributes!" Tiger shouts. "Spencer, Exelia, shake hands." We do, Spencer with a grim expression on his face.


	4. District 7 Reapings

**DISTRICT 7 REAPINGS**

**AINE KEELANE**

I stand in the middle of the square in the 15-year-old girl's section, watching the District 1 Reapings. It's slightly odd how they don't do the Reapings in order: 1, 7, 2, 8, 3, 9, 4, 10, 5, 11, 6, and 12, instead of the expected 1-12.

The extravagant escort for 1 steps on stage and begins picking out the damned tributes. For the boys, a small kid is chosen, but is quickly replaced by an older, more muscular boy.

For the girls, a petite redhead is chosen, but is also replaced by a girl from the same age group as her. The redhead stares at her in shock as the new girl walks on stage. I briefly wonder if they were friends.

The only reason I'm able to watch the Reapings is because I got here very early, maybe by 20 minutes. I would socialize, but I'm not a social person. Instead, I go to the 18-year-old boy's section to talk to my brother, Alex. I have another brother, Chris, but he hasn't needed to be in the Reapings for 3 years.

"Alex," I say, walking up to him. "What's up?" He grins slightly. "Not much, just waiting to see if I'm dead." He chuckles. That's Alex, always the pessimist.

I would never automatically assume I'd be the female tribute. There have been so many tragedies in my life. Where should I start? A stray bullet killed my older sister when she was just walking down the street. My father attacked the Peacekeeper and the man ended up killing my father. I was 6 at the time.

Another, my best friend, Niccol, died of an illness 3 years ago. Neither the doctors nor her family know what happened to her.

Alex went into a catatonic state during my sister's death. They were extremely close. I missed her unbearably, but Alex was different. They were around the same age, only separated by a year, while I was two thirds of their age and Chris was one third older. I've never seen someone cry as much as Alex did when the Peacekeeper who killed 2 of my family told him the news.

These depressing thoughts hit me during a light-hearted conversation. Shows how crazy and bipolar I am.

"Alex, you've got to be optimistic! We won't die. We shall live!" Alex laughs at my melodramatic performance. Who can blame him? I'm insane.

"You're insane, kiddo." I grin. "Thank tons."

The escort, Yvonne Carbon, and the mayor, Kenton Foxx, step up on the stage. They've told us if one of our district wins this Games, we'll be there to watch the new kid get picked to die. What a thing to look forward to.

"Hello, District 7!" Yvonne shouts. Her voice is annoyingly high. She's wearing a blindingly sparkly gold suit with platform shoes. Not that it's worse than our clothes. We wear disgusting overalls, stained with sap and bird droppings.

"Are you ready for this?" It almost seems like she's a cheerleader for a sport game. I want to shout at her, _No, I am sure as hell not ready for this_ but I keep my mouth quiet.

The crowd mimics me. No one shows an ounce of emotion, except for the children who are too afraid.

Yvonne begins shuffling through the names in the big glass ball.

The crowd collectively holds their breath.

Yvonne picks a name.

_No turning back_, I think.

She opens the slip.

She says a name.

It's _my_ name.

As soon as I was reaped, the Peacekeepers came to my spot in the crowd. I let them take me. I tried to act calm. I'm good at that, hiding my emotions.

Now I'm in this giant room, waiting for Mom, Alex, and Chris, to say goodbye. Obviously I won't be making it. It's horrible chances, around 4%.

Chris comes in first. He runs over to me and hugs me. He starts crying, but I keep a straight face. If I cry, I won't be able to stop and neither will he.

We sit on the couch in silence. Around the time he's supposed to leave, he gets up, kisses my forehead, and whispers, "You can do it I know you can."

Even though that's just wishful thinking, I nod, wanting him to think that I'll try and not just write myself off as dead.

Peacekeepers take him away and Alex is next. We hug like Chris and I did, but Alex doesn't cry, which I'm thankful for.

We sit on the couch and make small talk, Alex throwing in some random jokes to lighten the mood. It works a little, once I even forgot where I was, just thinking that we were at home. Key word _almost_.

He hugs me one last time when the Peacekeepers open the door. They try to grab him to lead him out, but he yanks his arm away and growls. I grin slightly.

My mom, Robyn, is the last one that comes in. We hug as well, her tears running down her and my face. I let a single tear slip and quickly wipe it away. Who knows what they're recording? I must not show weakness.

We sit down in silent, much like Chris and I. We just sit with her arm around my shoulder and me leaning into her. The Peacekeepers open the door and my mother quickly grabs something out of her pocket. It's a leather necklace with a silver pendant on it. It reads something, but in small script, so I can't make it out.

My mother puts it into my hand, "This was your father's. He loved you so much. He would want you to have it."

As the Peacekeepers take her out, I read the word on the pendant. It says _Believe_.

**MASON HALLOS**

I'm early, very early.

My father always gets us early to places, especially important places. I guess I would constitute the Reapings as important. Of course they're important, just horrible.

I would assume I'm around an hour early. I don't think the escort has even arrived. Thanks Dad.

Though I can't blame him. He's always nervous. He's the only one to help with me, ever since my mother and baby sister died in childbirth. I miss her, though I hardly remember her, seeing as I was only 4.

I use Lace to help remind me. Lace is my big (no pun intended) sister. She's 5 years older than me and pregnant. She got married when she was my age, like most girls do in our district. She and her husband moved to District 9, so I hardly ever see her. What I'm hoping is that a 7 wins this year's Games and a 9 wins next year's, because the Victor's get telephones.

Thanks to Lace, I now remember Mom had straight brown hair, like me. She had light blue eyes that Lace picked up. Lace also has Dad's curly red hair. I have the unusual eyes; as far as I know, no one in our family has black eyes with white specks. I remember my mother singing a lullaby about me, saying that my eyes were 'as dark as the night sky and as bright as the stars themselves'. I really do miss her.

I sit on the ground for a while, picking the grass, until I feel a poke on my shoulder. It's Martin, my best friend since forever.

We've been friends since we were in school. We had the same class in Kindergarten. That's the only grade there is, other than the group. You go from Kindergarten to a clump of kids 6 to 18.

I slightly grin at him, not really in the mood for pleasantries.

Martin's in one of the poorest families in 7, and you can tell. His rib bones poke out, he has dark circles under his eyes and his face has a sort of gaunt look to it.

I grab an apple out of my pack, something I always keep if I want a quick bite, and toss it to Martin. He grins and takes a big bite, a little color flowing back into is pallor.

I smile slightly, relieved to see my best friend eat.

After a little while of small talk, the Reaping is finally beginning.

The escort for 7, Yvonne Carbon, steps on stage, wearing a gleaming gold suit.

"Hello, District 7!" Yvonne shouts into the microphone. "Are you ready for this?"

I shake my head, laughing. This is ridiculous.

Yvonne ruffles through the girl's names and pulls one out.

"Aine Keelane!"

A short intake of breath is heard from the 15-year-old girl's area. I turn and see a tallish girl begin walking towards the stage. Her skin is dark, but not tanned like mine. I suspect she's from a Native descent. Her head is held high, but I can see the slight fear in her eyes.

As she joins Yvonne on stage, Yvonne, not even acknowledging her, quickly picks a tribute for the boys.

She grabs the microphone and shouts, "Mason Hallos!"

Here the _hell_ we go.

The first person to visit is my dad, Johnson. I remember that he told me he used to be made fun of in school because they teased him about his first name being his last. Oddly enough, his best friend's name was Smith.

He sits on the couch and talks of strategies. Dad's strategies, being one of the town's main lumberjacks, mainly revolve around an axe or sword. He tells me to get food first, weapons later. The next part unnerves me; he tells me to kill anyone in sight.

The next, and last, person to come in is Martin. He's looking paler than ever, his eyes wide with fear. It slightly annoys me. Aren't I the one supposed to be upset?

Martin sits next to me in silence. After a few minutes, he speaks up. "Mason, you're my best friend. My only friend, really. You've helped my family through our tough times. I think it's time I help you." He takes my hand and places a small item in it. I open it and see a small gold coin in it. The coin must be the most valuable item his family owns. "God, Martin. What's this?" Martin smiles, "It was my great-grandfather's. It always brought him luck."

"Martin, I-"

"Shut up, Hallos. I'm expecting it back." He winks and walks out the door.


	5. District 2 Train Rides

**DISTRICT 2 TRAIN RIDES**

**RAVEN HEATH**

I look around the extravagant room with glee. I'm finally here! I'm one step closer to being in, and winning, the Hunger Games.

I flop on my bed and I sink in with a _ploof_. I giggle and attempt to sit up, which I can't. "Jamie!" I shout to my fellow tribute, Jame Adden. Jamie walks into the room, rolls his eyes and pulls me up. "Thank you very much." I say. Jamie rolls his eyes one more time and stalks out. He's awfully grumpy.

I explore my room again, taking in all the electronics we don't have in 2. Which is to say quite a bit. 1 would be the place where you could find this stuff. Find an amazing stone sculpture, that's us. Sometimes I wish I lived in 1.

I step into the shower to have a luxury, once-in-a-lifetime shower. Well, it won't be once-in-a-lifetime if I win, will it?

There are hundreds of little buttons lining the wall. Some for the hardness and temperature of the water, some for the soap, the scents, hair products. This shower can do in 30 minutes what I can do in 3 hours.

The water streaming down my body powers me up and I'm pumped. I'm ready for the Hunger Games even though it's not for 3 weeks.

The shower (that damn magical thing) dries me off and I step out. I go through the drawers and find an assortment of clothes. I choose a white t-shirt, a denim jacket, and long black pants. I put on the tennis shoes by the door on and walk out of the room to the dining hall.

Obviously, I get lost. That's definitely my worst quality, I don't pay attention. At least I'm humble enough to admit that I have bad qualities, unlike that 4 girl. She seems so snobby and spoiled rotten.

In the end, I had to ask a worker where it was, much to my embarrassment. Adding to, I was at the opposite side of the train.

When I finally get to the hall, the food is mostly gone. I don't know why, the only people eating are Jamie, our escort, Molly Templeman, and two adults from 1 sent to mentor us. My mentor is Havana Leno and Jamie's is Trey Jenson.

Havana is in her mid 30's and has 4 kids, from what she's told me. She's lived in 2 all her life and her husband is the main supplier of concrete to the Capitol.

The food is the most glorious thing I've eaten in my life. There's this thing called wedding soup. It has spinach and little noodle balls. There's also this piece of meat that I've never had. They say it's called bison. I love bison.

After lunch, we talk strategies. Havana tells us to lie low while Trey says to make an alliance. I take both comments to think about. All I know right now is that I want the people from 1 and Jamie. Maybe the 4's. I'll have to ask Molly for those tapes.

**JAME ADDEN**

I was expecting something more extravagant. Oh, not that it isn't. It's just that I'm known the Capitol to be way over the top, while this is simply excessive. Like, who needs a crystal napkin holder?

My room, however, was amazing. Buttons, beds, more buttons. It's a 5's dream come true. Though I'm not a 5, it was still stunning.

This was a good trip, except for that philistine Heath. She couldn't get out of her bed! How idiotic is that? I had to help her up. Adding, she insists on calling me Jamie. If she does once more, I will rip her tiny head off.

The food is wonderful. I especially enjoy the sea bass with the lemon crème sauce.

The strategy session was prolonged and irritating. They inform us that we must try to win. _Obviously_, I think, rolling my eyes. The woman suggests that we lie low and try to outlast the others, while the man says to form an alliance. I'm not specifically a people person, so I would take the woman's advice.

The mention of killing isn't brought up. Why wouldn't it be? Isn't that what the Hunger Games is all about? Killing each other? While I wouldn't say killing would be my favorite thing, it certainly is necessary.

"Excuse me, but how do we kill people?" They look at me in shock. "What?" I ask innocently.

"Well, um, tell me your skills." I grin. I have quite a few.

"I'm fast. I would say smart. I have decent aim. I'm not afraid of anything, even death. Strong. Good at close combat."

The man looks at me with an odd look on his face. "Maybe you could try with a sword, also check out the hand-to-hand combat area." I grin. Finally, something I can use.

I rest for the remaining hour heading up to our arrival at the Capitol. I can only imagine, gleaming, pure cities. Colorful, interesting citizens.

What I got was much different. The Capitol has been reduced to partly rubble, partly what I imagined. The rebellion has taken its toll.

The train runs into the station and thousands of photographers swarm around us, determined to capture the first glances of 2's tributes.

Raven, the ever personable one, runs to the window while I stay in my seat.

I'm not here to make friends. Simply pawns.


End file.
